Gov. Evers, DATCP Announce 2026 Meat Processor Grant Recipients

MADISON — Gov. Tony Evers, together with the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), during June Dairy Month, today announced that 18 Wisconsin meat processors will receive grants through the 2026 Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant Program. Created by Gov. Evers in 2021, these grants help local meat processors modernize and grow their businesses, produce new products, or expand their markets, while improving profitability and sustaining the long-term viability of Wisconsin’s meat processing facilities.

“Here in Wisconsin, we’ve worked hard to ensure our farmers, producers, and processors have the resources and support they need to grow and expand their businesses and continue making the high-quality products Wisconsin is known for,” said Gov. Evers. “That includes our meat processors, and I’m proud that we were able to continue to make smart investments in their success in our most recent state budget, and I’m excited to see how these grants help our processors expand their business, increase product output, and invest in reliable processing infrastructure for the future of their business and the future of this industry here in Wisconsin.”

Last summer, Gov. Evers was proud to sign the bipartisan 2025-27 Biennial Budget, which builds upon the governor’s and the Evers Administration’s efforts to support Wisconsin’s farmers and farm families, producers, and processors. The bipartisan state budget directed significant investment in the state’s agricultural industry, including an additional $1 million to bolster the successful Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant Program.

“The Meat Processor Infrastructure Program continues to support Wisconsin meat processing businesses year after year as they grow and innovate,” said DATCP Secretary Randy Romanski. “I’m proud that grant recipients continue to use this as an opportunity to strengthen their operations and process quality products for consumers in Wisconsin and abroad.”

Thanks to investments secured by Gov. Evers in the 2025-27 biennial budget, a total of $700,000 was available for this year’s meat processor grants, with a maximum of $50,000 allowed for each project. Grant recipients were selected through a competitive review process and are required to provide a match of 100 percent of the grant amount. DATCP received 47 applications totaling $1.77 million in grant requests. An additional $700,000 in grants will be available in 2027.

The Meat Processor Infrastructure Grant recipients and their planned projects are:

• Almena Meat Company Inc. in Almena to replace the harvest floor carcass cooler and refrigeration system.
• Bark River Poultry Farms in Hartland to update processing equipment within the licensed mobile processing unit.
• Black River Meats LLC in Withee to expand cooler capacity to support continued growth and operational efficiency.
• Blair Meat Market in Blair to replace reduced oxygen packaging equipment.
• Bloomington Meats II in Bloomington to replace a 60-year-old bacon slicer.
• Durand Smokehouse in Durand to install smokehouse grease traps to separate grease from wastewater.
• Fayes Frozen Foods LLC in Sheboygan to expand the production, packaging, and freezing line.
• Fox Brothers Piggly Wiggly in Hartland to purchase a grinder to improve the speed of production.
• Frontpage Processing in Scandinavia for a physical infrastructure expansion.
• Hoesly’s Meats in New Glarus for a freezer expansion, compressor, and evaporator upgrades.
• Marchant’s Meats & Sausage in Sturgeon Bay for a 1,100 square foot building expansion.
• The Meat Block LLC in Greenville to purchase a blast chiller and oven.
• Northstar Bison in Cameron for a reefer truck purchase.
• Riverside Meat in Waukesha for equipment purchases to add production lines.
• Roskom Meats LLC in Kaukauna to purchase a high-capacity sausage stuffer.
• Salchert’s Market Inc. in Saint Cloud to modernize the existing freezer and install bone processing equipment.
• Sheboygan Pasty Co. in Sheboygan for packaging line upgrades.
• TMB East LLC (DBA Haen Meats) in Kaukauna for a cooler addition to separate raw product from RTE.

More information on meat processor grants is available on DATCP’s website.

EVERS ADMINISTRATION’S EFFORTS TO SUPPORT FARMERS AND BOLSTER WISCONSIN’S AGRICULTURAL INDUSTRIES

Over the past seven years, Gov. Evers has secured critical investments for farmers, producers, and their families, including supporting the state’s meat and dairy producers, investing in farmer mental health resources, and bolstering Wisconsin’s exports worldwide. Gov. Evers recognizes that Wisconsin’s more than $116 billion agricultural industry is as critical to the state economy as it is to Wisconsin’s heritage and culture, and ensuring its continued growth and success for generations to come will be critical to ensuring Wisconsin’s continued growth and success.

To support the strength of the state’s meat processing industry, in 2022, Gov. Evers and DATCP announced the creation of the Meat Talent Development Program, which provided up to $5 million to help attract and provide financial support to students in Wisconsin meat processing training programs, as well as support program development and connect the meat processing industry with potential employees. Unfortunately, the Wisconsin State Legislature has failed to include funding to continue this critical program in the last two biennial state budgets.

However, in addition to the $1 million to bolster funding for the successful Meat Processor Grant Program, the 2025-27 Biennial Budget signed by Gov. Evers builds upon efforts of the Evers Administration to date to support Wisconsin’s agricultural industry and proud heritage as “America’s Dairyland,” by providing:

• Ongoing funding for the Wisconsin Initiative for Agricultural Exports (WIAE) program to continue to support farmers and producers wanting to expand into new markets and increase output and help Wisconsin navigate international markets for agriculture, forestry, and food products;
  • Under Gov. Evers’ leadership, according to the WIAE, Wisconsin is currently ranked 11th in the nation for agricultural exports by state, up from 13th in 2021.
• $150 million to continue support for the Agricultural Roads Improvement Program, created by Gov. Evers in the 2023-25 biennium, ensuring the ongoing improvement of Wisconsin’s rural roads to help farmers and producers and the state’s agricultural and forestry industries move products to market safely and efficiently;
  • $30 million of the $150 million secured for ARIP will be specifically targeted to bridge and culvert repair to help improve and repair deteriorating bridges across the state.
• $20 million to create a new state program designed to support dairy and agriculture resilience;
• $10 million to continue the Food Security Initiative, a program created by Gov. Evers that connects local nonprofit food assistance programs, such as food pantries, with local producers to keep shelves stocked;
• $3 million to continue the Tribal Elder Food Security program that helps Tribal elders access nutritious, culturally relevant food while supporting Wisconsin producers;
• $800,000 to increase the available funding for the successful Dairy Processor Grant Program;
• Over $2.4 million over the biennium for the Meat Inspection Program to ensure meat products are produced safely and match nutrition labels;
• $200,000 to support farmers and their families’ mental health;
• $500,000 to increase funding for the Producer-Led Watershed Protection Grant Program, which helps enable producers and producer-led groups to implement nonpoint source pollution abatement strategies to improve Wisconsin’s soil and water quality;
• $2 million to continue the commercial Nitrogen Optimization Pilot Program, which aims to protect vital soil and water resources; and
• An additional $1.6 million to support the cover crop insurance program, which helps assist farmers with rebates of $5 per acre of a cover crop planted for crop insurance premiums paid on those acres.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.

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